The Tulare County pipeline to the Ultimate Fighting Championship is up and running and continues to send fighters into the world's top mixed martial arts promotion.

Woodlake's Cain Carrizosa became the third Tulare County fighter to sign with the UFC.

The Team Elite Visalia fighter will make his promotional debut against Chris Wade at UFC 177 on Aug. 30 in Sacramento.

"Excitement was one of the first emotions I felt when I found out," Carrizosa said. "All of the hard work I've put in these last six years and all the obstacles I've overcome as far as injuries and surgeries, it felt really good to get that phone call."

Carrizosa's career got off to a quick start as he jumped out to an impressive 3-0 record. But a pair of ACL surgeries and torn meniscus sidelined Carrizosa and put his UFC dreams on hold.

But the belief that he would one day be in the UFC never wavered.

Carrizosa returned from injury last August, and in just one year has been so impressive the UFC came calling.

In his return to the cage for Tachi Palace Fights on Aug. 22, Carrizosa dismantled Cody Orrison en route to a unanimous decision victory. That win caught the eye of the Bellator MMA promotion, and Carrizosa dazzled once again, beating Juan Quesada via triangle choke on Oct. 4 in Visalia.

Carrizosa stepped back into the TPF cage in February and needed just 30 seconds to beat Chris Quitiquit via brutal knockout.

At 6-0 in his career, Carrizosa earned himself a shot at the TPF 155-pound championship. He was forced to pull out of his TPF title fight with a rib injury but he healed just in time to make his UFC debut.

"It's weird," Carrizosa said about not fighting for the TPF title. "I didn't plan on not fighting. I was in the best shape of my life and I was getting ready for five, five-minute rounds. I fractured my ribs and couldn't compete, but I was back in the gym as soon as I could get back."

Carrizosa said he got the call from the UFC on Friday morning, and even though the fight was offered to him on short notice, it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

He knows he has a tough opponent in Wade, who has a 7-1 record and will also be making his UFC debut.

"I know he's from Long Island and has a record of 7-1," Carrizosa said. "He has five decisions and two submissions. He lost by a split decision and he fought in World Series of Fighting. He's tough. I respect him, but I don't fear him. I'm more than happy to be the one to welcome him to the Wild West."

Carrizosa said he feels confident going into his UFC debut. The fight is close enough to home so he doesn't have to worry about flying or going into a different time zone. It's a short three-hour drive from home.

He's also gotten plenty of advice from teammate Cody Gibson, who has a pair of fights in the UFC and another one scheduled for September.

"He talked to me and told me what it's like and what I need to expect," Carrizosa said. "All the interviews you have to do, go here and talk to these guys, do fighter check in, and the weigh-ins. You'll get butterflies, but the one thing he told me was that above all the lights and excitement, when you go into the fight, the bell sounds the same, the octagon looks the same and on the other end there's another human being. In the end, it's another fight."

Carrizosa is one of two Tulare County fighters competing on the Aug. 30 fight card, which is headlined by T.J. Dillishaw and Renan Barao for the bantamweight championship.

Last week, Porterville's Joe Soto signed a deal with the UFC and will be making his debut Aug. 30.

"When I started training, I was a fan of Joe Soto's," Carrizosa said. "Then I started training with him, and to fight with him on the same card in Sacramento, it's like a dream come true. It shows that Northern California and Southern California aren't the only places with talented athletes. Central California has shown that we have talented athletes also."

With the growth and popularity of mixed martial arts continuing to rise, Carrizosa said he hopes to help put Woodlake on the map and make people aware of the small town east of Visalia.

"I knew when I started fighting, I would be the kid from Woodlake to be in the UFC," Carrizosa said. "I created this dream. When I started training and fighting, I said I wanted to be the first Woodlake individual to make the UFC. That was a goal of mine. I knew I'd be here. I created the dream and I followed what I knew was right and I knew I'd be that kid."